Tourism in Somalia is regulated by the Federal Government of Somalia's Ministry of Tourism. The industry was traditionally noted for its numerous historical sites, beaches, waterfalls, mountain ranges and national parks. After the start of the civil war in the early 1990s, the Tourism Ministry shut down operations. It was re-established in the 2000s, and once again oversees the national tourist industry. The Mogadishu-based Somali Tourism Association (SOMTA) provides on-the-ground consulting services. In 2024, the number of foreign visitors to Somalia has increased by 50% in the past year, reaching over 10,000[1].
In the pre-independence period, European explorers would occasionally travel to Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa to visit the region's numerous historical sites described in old documents like the 1st century CE Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
Somalia's ecological parks, coral reefs and protected areas
Following Somalia's independence in 1960, the Ministry of Tourism was established in order to regulate the national tourist industry.[2] In 1969, the Law on Fauna (Hunting) and Forest Conservation was passed, which defined and provided for the establishment of controlled areas, game reserves and partial game reserves. It was later amended in 1978.[3]
Under Mire Aware Jama,[4] the Ministry subsequently passed the Tourism Act in 1984. The bill laid down official guidelines for the development and modernization of the tourism sector. Among its stated aims was the acquisition of land in the interior and on the coast as well as beach properties for the purpose of building or expanding tourist infrastructures. The Act also included provisions for "the protection, preservation and utilization of historic, cultural and artisanal resources; the protection and preservation of ecology and environment; and strict urban and regional planning for zones of touristic interest to include game parks, land and sea parks, sanctuaries, etc." The Tourism Ministry sought to center the industry in the vicinity of the southern Lag Badana National Park, with nearby coral reefs and offshore islands likewise envisioned as part of the development. Additionally, plans were drawn up for the formation of a tourist resort area on one of the beaches near the capital Mogadishu, in the south-central Banaadir region.[2]
By 1989, newer legislation was drafted governing the establishment of national parks, game reserves and special reserves. The conservation of wildlife resources was at this time overseen by the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range's National Range Agency. Its Department of Wildlife also operated an independent law-enforcement unit, which had been created through a presidential decree.[3]
Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, tourism in Somalia came to a halt. Various international bodies subsequently began issuing travel advisories recommending that potential tourists avoid visiting the area for safety reasons. Aside from a handful of adventure seekers, few travelers ventured to the volatile southern provinces.[5] Most instead limited their visits to the relatively stable northern Somaliland territory.
After the Somali Armed Forces evicted Al-Shabaab militants from Mogadishu in mid-2011, the capital gradually started to experience a renaissance. Local businessmen and returning Somali expatriates built and opened a number of new hotels and guest houses, mainly catering to other Somalis as well as some Westerners. Newly constructed beachside resorts also accommodated the first tourist families in many years.[6][7]
Biyo kulule, a tourist place near Bosaso Bari region, Puntland, Somalia
Regulation
Tourism in Somalia is regulated by the reconstituted national Ministry of Tourism. The self declared republic of Somaliland maintain their own tourist offices.[8] Somali Tourism Association (SOMTA) also provides consulting services from within the country on the national tourist industry.[9]
Due to the long absence of governmental regulation, it is uncertain how many international inbound tourists visit Somalia per year.[10] However, visas and stay permits are now mandatory for all foreign nationals. As of April 2013, the re-established Somali Immigration Department requires all undocumented foreigners to register at its offices in the capital.[11]
Somalia has a number of local attractions, including historical sites, beaches, waterfalls, mountain ranges and national parks. As of March 2015, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife of the South West State announced that it is slated to establish additional game reserves and wildlife ranges.[12]
Bargal – Former seasonal capital of the Majeerteen Sultanate. Features the ruins of one of the castles of King Osman Mahamuud.
Bosaso-The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea indicates that ancient Greek merchants sailed to Bosaso, providing notes about the strategic and geographical location of the current Bosaso area, which was known as Mosylon in ancient times. The towns environs such as Biyo Kulule and Bacaad as well as Karin which Italians had second largest base in Somali soil all are artifacts sites [13]
Dhambalin – Archaeological site in northern Somalia, with rock art in the Ethiopian-Arabian style showing early evidence of animal domestication.
Eyl – Site of many historical artefacts and structures. Served as a base for the Dervish forces, with several Dhulbahante garesas remaining from this period. Also includes some colonial edifices built by the Italians.
Aerial view of the Dervish State's main Dhulbahante Garesa complex in Taleh
Haylaan – Site of numerous ancient ruins and buildings. Includes the tombs of Sheikh Darod and his wife Dobira.
Laas Gaal – Complex of caves in northwestern Somalia containing some of the earliest known rock art in the region. Its cave paintings have been estimated to date back between 9,000-3,000 BCE.
Las Khorey – Former capital of the Warsangali Sultanate. Is the seat of the Sultan's former two-storey palace, a fortress, and a number of other historic ruins.
Maydh – Site of an ancient port city in the Sanaag region of Somalia. Includes the tomb of Sheikh Isaaq.
Qa’ableh – Old town with a number of ancient burial structures. Believed to harbor the tombs of former kings from early periods of Somali history. Includes the tomb of Sheikh Harti.
Qombo'ul – Historic town in the Sanaag region. Sites include ancient ruins, buildings and structures.
Gondal – An historic settlement in southern Somalia. The site of ancient ruins, it is considered a predecessor of Kismayo.
Gondershe – Medieval stone city built on an oasis featuring coral stone houses, fortifications, tombs and mosques. Location of the film La Conchiglia (1992) shot by the award-winning Somali director Abdulkadir Ahmed Said.
Hannassa – Historic town built on a promontory. Features pillar tombs, old houses with archways and courtyards, and a mosque with a well-preserved mihrab overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Transport in Somalia refers to the transportation networks and modes of transport in effect in Somalia. They include highways, airports and seaports, in addition to various forms of public and private vehicular, maritime and aerial transportation.
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has an estimated urban population of 2,610,483.
Hafun is a town in the northeastern Bari province of Somalia. Situated in Ras Hafun on the coast of the Guardafui Channel, it is the centre of the Hafun District, and the easternmost town in continental Africa. It is an ancient town previously known as Opone.
The Majeerteen, alternately known as MohammedHarti, are a prominent Somali sub-clan of the Harti, which falls under the Darod conglomerate of clans. Traditionally, they inhabit extensive territories in the Bari, Nugaal, and Mudug regions of Somalia, spanning from Bosaso to Garacad, mainly in Puntland state. Additionally, Majeerteen populations are present in southern towns such as Kismayo.
Merca is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia, a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately 109 km (68 mi) to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal clan and was the center of the Bimal revolt.
The following is an index of Somalia-related articles.
Warsheikh is an administration center and coastal town of Warsheikh district. Warsheikh is located in the southeastern Middle Shabelle region of Hirshabelle State of Somalia. On the south, Warsheikh is bordered by the Banadir region, and on the north Adale District.
Osman Mahmoud is a Somali sub-clan and is one of the largest sub-clans within the larger Majeerteen Harti branch of the Darod clan. The sub-clan is most renowned for its rich history within Somalia, that of which include sultanates such as the Majeerteen Sultanate and Hobyo Sultanate.
Mogadishu is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries.
Somali architecture is the engineering and designing of multiple different construction types such as stone cities, castles, citadels, fortresses, mosques, temples, aqueducts, lighthouses, towers and tombs during the ancient, medieval and early modern periods in Somalia and other regions inhabited by Somalis, as well as the fusion of Somalo-Islamic architecture with Western designs in contemporary times.
Maritime history of Somalia refers to the seafaring tradition of the Somali people. It includes various stages of Somali navigational technology, shipbuilding and design, as well as the history of the Somali port cities. It also covers the historical sea routes taken by Somali sailors which sustained the commercial enterprises of the historical Somali kingdoms and empires, in addition to the contemporary maritime culture of Somalia.
Alula, also spelled Aluula, is a coastal town in the northeastern Bari region and is part of the autonomous state of Puntland, on the coast of the Guardafui Channel. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it served as the main capital of the Majeerteen Sultanate. It is ten miles east of Ras Filuk and 100 nautical miles from Bosaso.
Tourism in Somaliland is regulated by Somaliland's Ministry of Tourism.
The National Museum of Somalia is a national museum in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It was established in 1933 by the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland. After shutting down operations in 1991, it later reopened, and presently houses a number of important historical artifacts. In September 2019, the museum was rebuilt; almost 30 years after its destruction.
The Majeerteen Sultanate, or Majerteen Kingdom also known as Majeerteenia and Migiurtinia, was a Somali kingdom centered in the Horn of Africa. Ruled by Boqor Osman Mahamuud during its golden age, the sultanate controlled the areas which are now called Puntland. The earliest mention of the kingdom is the 16th century. The polity had all of the organs of an integrated modern state and maintained a robust trading network. It also entered into treaties with foreign powers and exerted strong centralized authority on the domestic front.
This is a list of Somali aristocratic and court titles that were historically used by the Somali people's various sultanates, kingdoms and empires. Also included are the honorifics reserved for Islamic notables as well as traditional leaders and officials within Somali customary law (xeer), in addition to the nobiliary particles set aside for distinguished individuals.
Italy–Somalia relations are bilateral relations between Italy and Somalia.
Immigration in Somalia is regulated by the Somali Immigration Department of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Egypt–Somalia relations are bilateral relations between Egypt and Somalia. Both nations are Arab League members and engage in close development cooperation. Somalia also has an embassy in Cairo, and Egypt is slated to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu.
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